Of Winds And Quakes

52. The Bear

52. The Bear

Year of the Roses
Floral Season
The Highlands
Altsas

Kyan

HER SHALLOW BREATHING is the first thing I hear when I wake up. I blink my eyes trying to get rid of the blurs until my vision clears and the vivid scene of the clearing is what I see. I crawl out trying as much as possible not to disturb her, once out of the pathetic excuse for a tent I built (which I'm now ashamed off after seeing it in morning light) I stretch and yawn. My eyes dart to the charcoals and dead embers on the ground - the remains of the fire.

The whole forest is awake; the beautiful songs of birds fills the air like a band of musicians.

My stomach growls and I remember the berries I had for dinner. They were barely enough to fill my stomach and I forced myself to sleep with a gnawing stomach. I'll have to find us breakfast, I won't want Alysia to spend the morning hungry I don't want to feel guilty for bringing her along. I know why she was so keen on following me; and part of me wants her gone but part of me wants her to stay desperately. Somehow, I wish she will change her mind and return to the Palace with me.

Deciding it will be best for me to hunt this morning and while Alysia is still asleep, I march off throwing her a glance over my shoulder as I go.

My fingers throb from the thorns that have pierced them as I make multiple snares near the burrow of rabbits and moles. Just when I'm done and about to head back, I hear the faint rushing of water. I listen carefully, following the sound as water slaps upon rocks and the fresh scent of a rushing river. I imagine the water to run off a cliff and reaches thunderously as a waterfall.

The sound leads me zipping through bushes, I walk briskly wanting to find the river as soon as possible. And wanting to return back to the clearing before Alysia wakes up.

The scent and sounds gets stronger, more real. And I burst out from the canopy of trees to see an astonishing sight before me. The water is fast, almost angry. It runs with a deep roar and disappears from sight, plunging into a waterfall.

I stand watching the water, completely mesmerised. Then moments later when a chirping starlight starts to sing, I suddenly remember Alysia sleeping in the clearing, I don't want to think about how vulnerable she is. I send the iridescent bird a thankful glance and begin my walk back to the clearing.

I tramp through knee high plants and hanging vines and creeping stalks until I get back to the clearing. The walk back takes longer than it took to get to the river. Seeing Lady Gin-Gin graze quietly next to Fire makes me a bit relieved, deep inside me I didn't expect to come back and meet Alysia.

"Good morning," she sings out. She sits on the ground leaning against a tree with a blank look on her face. She looks pale and tired, I don't blame her though sleeping on the damp ground with only a bag as a pillow and a veil as a blanket is as tiring as having no sleep at all.

She bends over her bag and retrieves a comb. I watch her run it though her dark thick her, she flinches each time she passed it through and I wonder why she even bothers.

"I set some traps,"  I inform her. "We should be hopeful."

She doesn't comment on me setting traps, instead she jumps to her feet grinning from ear to ear. "I got my legs back!"

She says it like they were gone. I can't help smiling.

"I found a river," I say.

She looks up with mirth spread across her face. "Really?"

"Absolutely," I say and she jumps up in excitement. "Let's go now. Please." She grabs her bag.

I eye the bag wondering why she doesn't want to leave it behind. "All right."

I reach for her wrists and guide her through the smoldering forest. Leaves fall on us, moisture from trees drip on us and wild plants scratch us as we pass making us wince as the sensation registers. I am beginning to hear the exciting roar of the river and I glancing at Alysia I notice she hears it too. When we finally burst out of the trees, Alysia grabs my arm and pulls me back with a muffled cry.

"What's wrong?" Is she hurt? I run my eyes over her searching for blood or a cut.

She points a trembling finger towards the river and my eyes follows it. Opposite us, a huge beast stands watching the fast flowing water keenly as it hunts for it's prey. The bear dips a fat clawed paw into the water completely oblivious to the fact that it is currently being gawked at by two awed human beings. The bear is frightening big, it looks like just one blow from it's paw will surely kill. I'm not a stranger to these beautiful animals, I have encountered them and escaped.

"Wh-What should... We do?" Alysia whispers.

I smile. "Nothing." We obviously can't chase it away. "We should come back later."

And I pull her away so we can go check snares. Alysia seems eager to do it and I lead her back trying to remember the locations of the hastenly made traps.

Approaching the second snare- after the first one disappointed us- I notice a small furry mammal caught in the tangled thorny vines. Alysia lets out a hoot of laughter and runs to it.

"Be careful!" I say in caution.

But she scoffs and proceeds to remove the game. "I used to hunt with my father." She holds up the brown rabbit, it's head bend at an awkward angle and it's eyes vacant. "I did just fine." She smiles and I smile too.

"Let's not go back there just yet," I say to her.

The smile on her face is smug, "scared aren't you?"

"No," I spit out. I have had a couple encounters with bears, I'm anything but scared. I fear for her but I don't tell her that.

Not having anything to reply, I begin to walk back to our tent. Giggling, she follows behind.

Alysia uses my knife to skin the rabbit expertly. She refuses any help from me and glares when I offer to make a fire. Moments later, she sits back and watches the fire roast the meat on a spit, her hands bloodied and her hair in a tangled mess. I know I probably don't look any better, I'm beginning to smell myself and I don't sleep nice.

Alysia stands up, her knees popping and she gives me a pointed stare. "We need to bath, Kyan. I swear my skin is starting to crawl."

She watches me for a moment then sighs. She pulls out a short dress from her bag and walks away.

When Alysia returns wearing the fuchsia tulle dress, I have already put off the fire and I'm more than ready to eat.